Airplane-launching apparatus



L. J..LE MESURIER. AIRPLANE LAUNCHWG APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

UNITED STATES I PATENT, OFFICE.

LOUIS J'onN LE MESURIER, OF NEwcAs'rLE-UPoN-TrNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR orONE-HALF 'ro SIR w. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH & COMPANY, LIMITED, or.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, EN LAND.

mmNn-nau cmNe APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23,1921.

Application filed May a, 1920. Serial No. 379,354.

barges, ships or like restricted spaces and has for its object toprovide an apparatus of simple construction which will obviate theemployment of the airtight glands through which it has hitherto beennecessary to pass some of the wire ropes.

According to this invention a carriage for the aeroplane is mounted totravel on a track formed on the deck or like structure and a cylinderactuated by the expansion of compressed air is mounted to travel on a.second track, parallel to the first track, the

carriage being connected by means of a rope to the cylinder in such away that'movement of the latter causes acceleration of the carriagealong its track. The carriage is also connected to the cylinder by asecond rope in such a manner that a retardation of t e carriage takes.place after the aero lane has been released therefrom, ports eing soformed in the piston that during the final portion of the cylinderstravel air is compressed therein. The carriage 1s retained 1n itsinitial position b means of a catch or trigger, and the air 1sthen'introduced into the cylinder so that the. carriage is drawn forwardalong its track directly the trigger is released without any valve gearor the like being necessary. A cam or ramp suitably placed on the trackor some other part of the main structure automatically releases theaeroplane from its carriagewhen the maxi-- mum speed has been attained.

One form of apparatus according to this invention is illustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure -1 is aside elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan on an enlarged scale, partly in section, showing thecompressed air cylinder and its ram, and

Fi 3 is a diagram drawn to a larger scale than ig. 1 showing a tripmechanism omitted from that figure.

' The aeroplane A is placed upon a carriage B which is mounted to travelupon a track or rails Bextending the full length of the deck or othermain structure. Formed parallel to and preferably below the main track Bis a second set of rails C, along which a cylinder D, having wheelsD, isadapted to travel relatively to a 'fixedram E under the expansion of acharge of compressed air. The carriage B is connected to the cylinder Dby a wire rope F whose ends F F are respectively secured tothe fore artofthe carriageand a fixed portion G Oth8-Stl'l10- ture, the rope beingpassed around a pulle H on the fore end of the cylinder insuc a way thatan acceleration twice thatof the cylinder is imparted to the carriage B.A retarding rope J is similarly provided and secured to the carriage andstructure but so arranged as to celerating rope the ends of the retardinrope being respectively secured to.a fixe (ippose the motion oftheacwhen the apparatus is used for launching a seaplane.

The trip mechanism shownin Fig. 3 comprises a lever O pivoted at itslower end to the carriage and having its upper end adapted to engage theaxle A of the aero-' plane- This lever O is provided with a safetycatch? which holds the axle in place and prevents the aeroplane fromcreeping or lifting until the maximum speed is attained. Until then thesafety catch is held in place by a pivoted pawl R held by a spring Sagainst a stop T, but when the maximum speed is reached the lower end ofthe pawl R is brought into contact with a ramp B fixed launchingpositionby means of a suitable catch or lever M secured to the rear end of themain structure G.

The traveling cylinder D is adapted to reciprocate relatively to astationary ram E having a hollow shank or rod E provided near itsforward end with suitable exhaust ports E which are uncovered after thecylinder' has moved forward a predetermined distance suflicient toimpart the necessary launching acceleration to thecarriage. For theremainder of its travel the air trapped between the rear end of thecylinder and inner face of the piston E is compressed, so retarding thefinal portion, of the cylinders travel, while the charge of compressedair hitherto operating between the face of the piston and closedforwardend or' the cylinder, escapes freely through the open exhaustports E into the atmosphere.

When the aeroplane is to be launched the carriage is anchored to therear of the track or structure b the retaining lever M and the cylinderis charged to the required pressure with compressed air through thecharging valve N which is then closed. The

retaining lever M is then released, where-- upon the cylinder D will bedriven forward owing to the expansion therein ofthe compressed air andthe carriage B will receive twice the amount of acceleration through theacceleration rope F.

As the device is self-contained as regards power after being chargedwith compressed air there will be no losses. due to wire drawin atvalves during the acceleration.

hen the cylinder has reached its maximum speed the trip mechanismreleases the aeroplane .from the carriage and the exhaust ports E in thehollow shank of the ram E are simultaneously uncovered, so that the maincharge of compressed air escapes into the atmosphere while the airtrapped between the rear end of the cylinder and inner face of thepiston E is compressed, thus acting as a retardin bufi'er. If desired anauxillary bufl'er spring may be providedto assist in bringing the emptycarriage to rest. i

To prepare the device for a further launch the carriage is rolled backto the starting position and held there by the re taining lever M whilethe cylinder is recharged with compressed air.

Although in the above description single acceleration and retardingropes have been referred to, in practice these may be duplicated andprovided on eachside of the cylin-- der, the latter having pulleys oneither side for this purpose.

It will be understood that other suitable means for holding andreleasing the traveling cylinder and carriage may be used; as, forexample, a release mechanism acting directly upon the cylinder withoutdeparting from this invention.

track, a movable'member adapted to travel on the second track, and meansoperatively connecting said track, movable member, and carriage wherebyacceleration is imparted tothe carriage at the beginning-of the movementof said member and retardation is imparted thereto as said memberreaches the end of itstravel.

' 2. In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restricted area thecombination of v.1i'. .-,track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, asecond trackparallel to the first track, a movable member adaptedto'travel on the second track, a pulley on said member, an acceleratingrope, a second pulley on the movable member and a retarding rope passingaround said pulley having its ends respectively secured to the carriageand to a fixed part of the track structure.

3. In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restricted area thecombination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a secondtrack parallel to the first track, a member adapted to travel on thesecond track under the expansion of a fluid pressure medium and flexibleconnections between the carriage, movable member, and track wherebyacceleration is imparted to the carriage at the beginning of themovement of said member, and retardation as said member approachesthe-limit of its movement. v 4. In apparatus for launching an air planefrom a restricted area-the combination of a track, a carriage adapted totravel thereon, a second track parallel to the first track, a memberadapted to travel on the second track under the expansion of a fluidpressure medium, a flexible connection between the carriage and movablemember whereby acceleration is imparted'to the care riage, and flexibleconnections between said movable member and carriage whereby thecarriage is accelerated during .the greater portion of its travel andretarded at the end of its movement.

5. .In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restricted area thecombination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a secondtrack below the first track and paralinventionand desire lel thereto, afixed plunger, a cylinder adapted to move on the second track under theexpansion of a fluid pressure medium relatively to the fixed plunger, apulley on the from a restricted area the combination of a.

track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a second track below thefirst track and parallel thereto, a fixed plunger, a cylinder adapted tomove on the second track under the expansion of a fluid pressure mediumrelatively to the fixed plunger, a pulley on the igylinder, anaccelerating rope having its 'nds secured to the carriage and to a fixedpart of the track structure passing around said pulley, a second pulleyon the cylinder and a retarding rope having its ends secured to thecarriage and a fixed part of the track structure passing around thesecond pulley.

7. In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restricted area thecombination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a secondtrack below the first track and par-- allel thereto, a fixed plunger, acylinder adapted to move on the second track under the expansion of afluid-pressure medium relatively to the fixed plunger, a pulley on thecylinder, an accelerating rope having its ends secured to the carriageand to a fixed part of the track structure passing around said pulley, asecond pulley on the cylinder, a retarding rope having its ends securedto the carriage and a fixed part of the track structure passing aroundthe second pulley, and means for retarding the cylinder toward the endof its forward stroke.

8. In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restricted area thecombination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a secondtrack mounted below the first track and parallel thereto, a fixedplunger, a cylinder adapted to move on the second track under theexpansion of a fluid pressure medium relatively to the fixed plunger, apuL ley on the forward end of the cylinder, an accelerating rope passingaround said pulley having its ends respectively secured to the forwardportion of the carriage'and to the rear end of the track structure, asecond pulley near the rear end of the cylinder and a retarding ropepassing around the second pulley having its ends respectively secured tothe rear end of the carriage and to the forward portion of the trackstructure 9. In apparatus for launching an air plane from a restrictedarea the combination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, asecond track mounted below the first track and parallel thereto, a fixedplunger, a cylinder adapted to move on. the second track under theexpansion of a fluid pressure medium relatively to the fixed plunger, apulley on the forward end of the cylinder, an accelerating rope passingaround said. pulley having its ends respectively secured to the 3forward portion of the carriage and to therear end of the trackstructure,-a second pulley near the rear --end of the cylinder, aretarding rope passing around the second pulley having its endsrespectively secured to the rear end of the carriage and to the 'forwardportion of the track structure, and means for retarding the cylindertoward the end of its forward stroke.

10. In apparatus for launching an. air plane from a restricted area thecombination of a track, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a secondtrack mounted below the first track and parallel thereto, a fixedplunger, a hollow stem therefor having exhaust ports therein, a cylinderadapted to move under the expansion of a fluid pressure mediumrelatively to the fixed plunger upon the second track, a pulley mountedonthe forward end of the cylinder, an accelerating rope passing aroundthe pulley having its ends respectively secured to the forward end stem.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

LOUI JOHN LE MESURIER.

